I is for Invicta

We've seen one or two here, as they came in from Charity Shops, and there may be one or two more in storage, but I happened to be up early one Sunday back in July, and went to the big car-boot over at Borden, off the A325 Farnham Road, where I found a chap selling a shit-ton (an official measurement somewhat larger than a shitload!) of the Invicta (for The British Natural History Museum) dinosaur models, and I sort of bought one-each of most of them!

 

I then went and got an egg & bacon bap and a coffee, the real reason for going to a car-boot sale, in my opinion, went back to the car to eat said burger, and sort the plunder, and decided I might as well go back and get the others, which proved problematical, as everyone was starting to pack-up and leave, and I couldn't find the stall for a while, then nearly tripped over it, and this, below, is the result!

 

All the big boys together, I think I have one in storage, but couldn't remember which one! That's a three-foot table, so 'Dippy' is nearly two-and-a-half feet! Despite having looked these up in the past, I either failed to learn or didn't notice anything about the painted version in a softer PVC, so they came as a surprise to me, and means that despite this haul, I am no nearer to even half of the possible versions (there are a couple of complete colour variants among the old PE ones too), but I do now have more than half the sculpts, at least once. Technically, there's a modern Blue Whale to find too!

 

Cetiosaurus

(painted PVC)

 

Diplodocus

 

Mammenchisaurus

 

Apatosaurus

 

Brachiosaurus

 

Stegosaurus

(PE on the left, painted PVC on the right)

 

Ichthyosaurus

(surface-coated polymer)

 

Plesiosaurus

(surface-coated polymer)

 

Woolly Mammoth

(PE on the left, painted PVC on the right)

 

Left: Glyptodon

Right: Baryonyx

 

 

Left: Iguanodon

Right: Tyrannosaurus (Rex)

 

All undecorated polyethylene unless otherwise stated, the two later additions, both marine subjects, have a shiny coated-surface, almost like resin or fibreglass, with fine age cracks revealing a softer substrate as the bulk of the model, which is probably some form of polyethylene or polypropylene? Also, the tusks of the two version of the Mammoth are quite different, and were clearly redesigned between issues.

 

What was daft was that, despite two visits to the guy's table, I didn't take a Triceratops, even though he had several, as I thought I'd got one, but I'm pretty sure now I haven't, I had the Scelidosaurus which we saw here a while back, along with a couple of Megalosaurs over the years. And, or course, the one I most want, the Dimetrodon, remains elusive!

 

You can find pictures of all of them here:

http://www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com/invicta.html

 

And details of all variations here:

https://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/4110 

 

Less than a month later, and we have plagiarist eBay scrapings from you know who! His insecurity must be eating him up, and the commenters are only encouraging him! 

H is for How They Come In - Charity Shop Backlog - 2021, 1 of 2

Continuing to clear the charity shop plunder shots, I seem to have kept more up to date in 2023, but there's more from '21 and '22 to come, then I'd better start clearing the shelfies, or the Toy Fair stuff, or . . . !

 

A nice haul sometime in April, with three DVD's (I don't do television, there's little of merit on there now, and what there is, gets reissued as boxed-sets, I've just caught-up on Black Books and Spaced!), a British Museum dinosaur from Invicta Plastics, I have four or five now, and not one paid at evilBay prices!

Two nice WWII British softskin's from Oxford I think, a similar plane, I can't remember the provenance, and it went to storage, with most of this, back then, along with a bag of mostly modern funimals and a couple of Mini Bogglins! And I almost missed the pair of Chinese lions or 'Dogs of Pho', which will mage excellent photo-backdrops/props in the future.

 

A week later and I added another Invicta, being a better version of one we've seen here previously, also as a charity-shop purchase, I think? It turned out they were different shades, so I kept the tatty one for now, too!

 

I left this Schleich skinny Dinosaur (Tawa, issued in 2018) in the bag for now, I assume a blind-bag duplicate, sent straight to charity without being opened! Like Invicta, Schleich and Papo hold their value, however, they can be found cheap in charity shops, but not if the staff use "The 'Bay" to price, then they're all five or eight-quid!

 

Another mixed lot, with more viewing pleasures, some Phidal or Phadal-like (Disney stores?) and a ceramic cat. A bag of small 'ornamental' teddy-bears and I can't even recall what's in the bag, bottom left, but it looks like a mole-penguin-troll!

 

 

A bit of a question-mark over these, I'm assuming some sort of board-game pieces, or even chess-set pawns, it's the snake from the Jungle Book, 'Kaa', and I don't think they have much age, there were both a restored re-issue of the original and a new version released in the last few years, and it will be tying-in with one of them? The 1, 3, 4 numbers are probably just cavity marks.

Finally, a catapult pencil-sharpener and another ceramic cat, probably a fairing, the catapult being a Hong Kong copy of the old Spanish Play Me one.

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 8th-Friday 14th February 2020

Saw my first bumble-bee today, and the mirabell started to flower, god knows what either of them will make of the two day storm they're promising us, but the viewing of them both, was a good sign!

Let's buy toys . . . 

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 8th February 2020

Chester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

The Cheshire Country Club Sports Club, Plas Newton Lane, Upton, Cheshire, CH2 1PR

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission £2.00

Free Parking

Hawkinge - SRP Toy Fairs

Hawkinge Community Centre, Heron Forstal Avenue, Hawkinge, Kent, CT18 7FT

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail - srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

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Sunday 9th February 2020

Birmingham - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'NEC'

Hall 18, National Exhibition Centre, Birminham, B40 1NT

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070

Hours unknown (probably 10:30-15:00hrs)

Admission £7.50, early-bird (from 08:00hrs) £12, OAP's £7, Children £2

Free parking

 [Which also made it into Waitrose magazine this week, which either means BP Fairs are becoming an institution, or the editors were short on event-dates?!!]

Kirkby-in-Ashfield - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend)

Festival Hall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 7DJ

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission fee unknown, aaccompanied under-16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

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Tuesday 11th February 2020

Elsecar - Newcomen Fairs Ltd. - 42nd Elsecar Toy & Train Fair (evening fair)

Elsecar Heritage Centre, Elsecar, Nr. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 8HJ

Web. - www.newcomenfairs.co.uk

eMail - sales@newcomenfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01226 744 425

19:00 - 21:00hrs

Admission £1.50p, children 50p

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Wednesday 12th February 2020

Burton-on-Trent - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Evening Fair

The Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2EB

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

18:00 - 20:30hrs

Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free

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Thursday 13th February 2020

Theydon Bois - Joe Lock Fairs (evening fair)

Village Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois, Essex, CM16 7ER

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

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Auctions

Saturday 8th February 2020

Bury St. Edmunds - Lacy Scott & Knight

Web. - www.lsk.co.uk

eMail - oleggett@lsk.co.uk

Tel. - 01284 748 600 (general enquires)

Tel. - 01284 748 623 (Oliver Leggett - auction)

Toy and Collectors Models

Poole - Cottees Auctions Limited

Mannings Heath Road, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4NQ

Web. - www.cottees.co.uk

eMail - info@cottees.co.uk

Tel. - 01202 723 177

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Wednesday 12th February 2020

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Sales commence at 10:30hrs

Toy & model soldiers & figures, kits & AFV's

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Other Events

From Thursday 6th February (yesterday) - until Monday 20th April 2020

Manchester - Nathan Sawaya (Lego builder) - The Art of the Brick

Great Northern Warehouse, Peter Street, Manchester

Web. - www.aotbmanchester.co.uk

[Seems to be a re-hash of the show which actually started 19th Jan and was flagged-up here then - Fri. 10th Jan.?]

Added interaction/participation building?

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Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th February 2020

Exeter - Westpoint - Antique & Vintage Home Show

Web. - www.westpointexeter.co.uk

Antiques, collectables and vintage - 400+ dealers

Sheppton Mallet - Bristol Classic - Great Weastern Classic Car Show

Bath & West Showground, Sheppton mallet, Somerset

Web. - www.bristolclassiccarshows.com

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Saturday 8th - Sunday 23rd February 2020

Norwich - The Forum - Norfolk Makers Festival

The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich

Web. - www.norfolkmakersfestival.co.uk

Crafting, spinning & weaving, printing, painting, drawing & sculpting, knitting, crochet & embroidery etc . . . workshops, displays and traders.

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Overseas Events

Saturday 8th February 2020

Schertz (USA) - Attic Antiquity Dolls - Hill Country Doll Show & Sale

Schertz Civic Centre, 1400 Schertz Pkwy, Schertz, TX 78154, Texas USA

Web. - http://www.dolldr.com/5.html

eMail - dmeredith@dolldr.com (Dorothy Meredith)

Tel. - ++8306 065 868

09:00-16:00hrs

Admission $6.00, children $2.00

50 dealers, dolls, bears and miniatures

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Sunday 9th February 2020

Wallingford (USA) - Classic Shows - Model Railroad Show

Zandri's Stillwood Inn, 1074 South Colony Rd, Wallingford, CT 06492, Connecticut, USA

Web. - http://www.classicshowsllc.com/Zandris-Directions.shtml

eMail - LSpinelli49@aol.com

Tel. - ++2039 261 327 (Lud or Tina Spinelli)

09:00-14:00hrs                                                                              

Admission $5, children 12 & under - free with accompanying adult

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable, military, historical or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc. And a link; if the event or your organisation has a web-page.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Link

I hate Funko and the horse it came in on, but how can you not like this!

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H is for How They Come In

I found a new old Charity shop, or that is - one which has been closed every time I've been past it, but which was staffed this time, and not just staffed, two ladies were running-out of places to put stuff. They had a drawer of mixed figures for 20p from which I selected this little lot!

The weird insect with a prehensile tail looks to be from that McDonald's set of Smurfs we looked at the other day; I think the two girls are from a board-game (looking at the bases) and possibly Barbie-related, although they look a little younger and more anatomically realistic than Mattel's Miss.

The Sci-fi's are a Hasbro whatsit (seen 'em here before) and a small rubber Cyberman who may be from those advent calendars from which the Philosophical Toad gave a Dalek to the Blog years ago.

A [probably] Kinder kangaroo and an Indian made up the group, I got him because although he's a common enough looking figure (from Timpo Swoppets) in PVC-rubber material, he's not the expected Hong Kong marked offering, but clearly marked 'China'.

Also in the shop was a shelf of what had been someone's fairy collection, of which this one around the 54mm mark joined the growing pocketful.

The Asian importer gave up what I think is another from that Ubisoft lot we looked at a few years ago, although it's unmarked . . . the fact that it involves a mushroom (with a pair of eyes pocking out) and a weird sluggington sitting on it, might have something to do with my assumption!

The evilBay lot arrived, very useful stuff, two or three posts should be the result.

Invicta Plastics for the British Museum (Natural History); I know, I've got one; but I thought it had a slightly chewed tail, so considered this an upgrade! In fact; there was nothing wrong with the last one and I think I might have three, but the others can make for useful swaps.

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This Week I Are Been Mostly Sortin' . . .

. . . Hay! And Straw!

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Other Toy Stuff

Chocolate

Look what I found in my suit-jacket pocket! Another freebie from Toy Fair 2020! A chocolate I shall enjoy (well . . . I already have!) and the Hornby Group posts (three I think) are in the long queue, that's the tardy queue!

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Barbie

I saw a story about the ethnic Barbie's (mentioned here passim), but which added that there will be disabled Barbie's as well, already there is an African-American Barbie with Vitiligo (the contrasting skin-patch thing) and another with a prsthetic, while plans are afoot for wheelchair and hair-loss Barbie's.

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Other Stuff

Spot the 'deliberate' mistake . . .

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No; look properly . . . !

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One of the snowdrops picked up a 'hat' made of a hollowed acorn shell! Skin? What are the chances of that happening? Probably not that great in a snow-drop wood with lot of oaks! Indeed the way they open and then drop the flower may be a mechanism for shedding such collected empty acorns or hazelnuts? I blame the squirrels!

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And finally;

Whaaaaat?!! Sometimes I need a box . . . aaaaand sometimes . . . I don't . . . have you seen it? It's far too big; I could easily fit in it . . .  and now you've emptied it! Where's the fun in that?

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D is for Brucey Bonus!

Didn't get the text done in time yesterday!

This is the regular return or regular roundup - if you like, they haven't been in the queue, but rather collecting in a TBS (to be sorted) bag as they come in until there's enough for a quick phot-shoot. Mostly generic-enough Chinasaur shite, but there's a gem or two among them.

Start with a pair of classic, rubbery, proper-common, cheepo' Chinasaurs, these turn-up all the time and always remind me of baby birds, with their gaping mouths, soft PVC and their eyes painted like gum-ball machine rubber-jigglers or Imperial Poopatroopers. The carnivore won't stand up, so he's punching Dimetrodon in the face! Nature, even bug-eyed nature; raw in tooth and claw!

Having let a whole set through my hands a few years ago, I'm now building the Invicta/Natural History Museum set again, one dino' at a time; this is number three I think! Described as 'Scelidosaurus - about 4 meters'.

A collection of mostly old-school (or old tool) Chinasaurs from the HK days, the one on the right (looks like a mole-rat!) is definitely an earlier issue, with the middle pair of very poor quality, one marked with a bit of Hong... the other not marked at all, while the one on the far left may be a more recent 'China' re-issue.

The per'terra-thingy has been seen here under both Home Collection and Perfect Moments branding, and while the Steggie' looks likewise familiar from those monochromatic sets, it's actually a different sculpt with opposite plates rather than the off-set ones of the other brands, and a very poorly sculpted head on an otherwise reasonable body.

The little yellow one is tiny; about the same height as an Airfix HO/OO guardsman, but a relatively original sculpt, so he may be a baby from a larger parent in a more commercial play-set?

Two ceratopsian's from the current crop of toob sets, which one - I haven't a clue, but there are dozens of them and one day we'll have a proper look at them and make some sense of them all.

These are utter shite, but I love them! Reason being, they are modern shots taken from the old 1970's rubber dino' moulds from which my childhood Dimetrodon comes! They have been moulded in a pale fawn or sand rubber and painted likewise with over-brushing in oxide red or grey for a dusty, desert-dwelling look.

The Dimetrodon on the right is the one I remember with a sharper-tipped sail, the one in the middle has had his sail-tips smoothed-off. The one on the right also ended-up with some flash, pulled away from the gate-mark as he was taken from the mould, and now looks as if he's god and is using a gecko-like tongue!

Anyone who had these in the heyday of their semi-translucent, silicon-rubber, 1970's glory will recognise the smooth scalloped bellies of the other three sculpts, and the rather flat 'fence-panel' of the Dimetrodons!